The Trump Admin is Going After The Southern Poverty Law Center Over January 6th

The Trump Administration is going after the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as the DoJ persuaded a grand jury in Alabama to issue indictments concerning wire fraud, money laundering and false statements. Hours earlier, the SPLC publicly disclosed they were under federal investigation.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche (who we must remember was once President Trump's personal lawyer) claims, “The SPLC is manufacturing racism to justify its existence.” Simply put, the DoJ is claiming the SPLC is actually funding white supremacist networks rather than trying to end them.

I don't think these charges are going to withstand the scrutiny of a trial. The Trump Administration will be no more successful in bringing a guilty verdict against the SPLC than it has been with former FBI Director James Comey or New York Attorney General Letitia James let alone Senator Mark Kelly.

As with Comey, James and Kelly, this is an act of retribution on behalf of President Trump, and it will keep both Blanche and embattled FBI Director Kash Patel in good standing with the Oval Office - at least until charges are dismissed or a not guilty verdict is rendered.

From where I sit, Trump's main anger towards the SPLC regards January 6th as they worked closely with the January 6th Committee monitoring groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers who were involved with the attack on the U.S. Capitol. The SPLC subsequently condemned the pardons given to those convicted of crimes for their actions on January 6th.

President Trump and members of his administration are certainly entitled to disagree with the SPLC. I am not pleased that the SPLC isn't prepared to call Hamas a terrorist organization and believe they are wrong in this regard. But being wrong isn't a criminal act.

To pursue this action against the SPLC is little more than an effort by the Trump Administration to stifle organizations that would be critical of it and intimidate others from doing the same. We are not a democracy without an independent civil society which is free to criticize the government without fear of reprisal.